Curtain raiser
The margin of victory was greater in the Seconds’ game and it demonstrated the superiority of GPS in the 2015 season.
GPS II 52 – CHS 19
First half
It was a long day for the CHS lads In the curtain-raiser to the main game, and their troubles started early when 6 Dylan Pietsch scored after a breakout upfield.
Some of the counter-attacking by CHS looked promising but too many of their moves lacked precision and the understanding between the players was not great either.
Not that GPS was scoring heavily: CHS was good at putting out fires but midway through the half 7 Tom Serhon set up a good field position after a fine run, and not long after THP Teu Atiola was over the chalk. With the extras GPS led 12-0 but CHS hit back when they got into their opponent’s territory with a penalty kick and 10 Natane Masima scored a smart try.
With ten minutes left in the first half GPS still led but by only 12-5.
Then GPS scored two tries before the break and the scoreboard looked ominous at oranges.
Half-time score GPS 24 – CHS 5.
Second half
There was a try-fest in the second half and first-up, CHS couldn’t put a shoulder on 13 James Hawkins and he scored.
However GPS became guilty of ball-hogging, trying to impress selectors who wanted to see exactly the opposite. But there was some good stuff too as CHS ran out of defenders after a break by Pietsch, and 2 Dylan Woods scored under the posts.
GPS lead 38 -5 and nearly scored a follow-up long range try but the ball was knocked on.
Just as CHS looked down and out, their 10 Netane Masima intercepted a GPS pass in his own half and scored between the sticks, to the delight of CHS fans: 38-12.
But this was responded to immediately when Woods and Hawkins combined to set up reserve flanker Lachie Simpson to score from an inside pass. It was a delightful example of some of the ball running and backing up by the GPS lads in the half.
CHS had it’s adherents hollering again when they charged down a clearing kick from the GPS in-goal to fall on the ball and score. But GPS had the last word when Simpson got his second meat pie. In the end it was eight tries to three.
Final score: GPS II 52 – CHS 19.
It was a dominant display by a rep seconds team but the GPS IIs lacked the team work and the sympathy for support players that the GPS Ones had later on.
The players
GPS – 6 Dylan Pietsch had a commanding game running with the ball and backing up. 11 Blaise Barnes was a firecracker around the park; 13 James Hawkins indicated he would be in the Ones most years but this one.
CHS – 6 Matt Fisk was tireless around the park ,and 13 Reece Macintosh accelerated into tackles and broke some when he got the ball in space, which was not often enough.
